SasuSaku A Tale of Love
by angelbabe21
Summary: Characters are based off of Sasuke and Sakura from Naruto. It's a story that shows the hardships they will face together, that will eventually make them closer then they ever thought they could be, and they will find true love with eachother.
1. Beginnings

Author's Notes: A story based on the characters Sasuke and Sakura from Naruto. It is completely different from the Naruto story, just a random story I thought of one day, but Sasuke and Sakura's characters both have the same type of abitilites they have in the series. Sorry..I'm not _that_ original XD The names and clans have no real meaning..Just stuff I randomly came up with..So please don't look to much into the history of any of the clans/villages/names. If it does relate to something..It's by coincidence.

* * *

The Kurita village, had been long known among many as the only village to have been long engaged in battle with the Satoshi clan for many generations. The Satoshi clan, over the generations, had become well known, throughout many different lands, for their oppression of the weak and poor villages spread among various regions in an ongoing attempt to spread their territory and power. Starting out, the Satoshi clan, was part of a small village, located not so far away from the Kurita village. Satoshi Hiro was the original leader of the Satoshi rebellion, gathering many followers within the Satoshi clan, and other clans alike, and eventually overthrowing the Sano village elders, thus gaining control of the entire village. Hiro reigned surpeme, and gathered enough followers from neighboring villages to join in his quest for domination, thereafter, even if his followers were not originally from the Sano village, or the Satoshi clan, they would all be referred to as Satoshi's or known to all as part of the Satoshi clan.

His teachings and beliefs had been passed along to each generation of followers, and with every generation, the Satoshi empire had expanded, and sucessfully taken over many territories. The only opposition the Satoshi's had ever encountered, were from the clans residing within the Kurita village, and a few other villages who allied themselves with Kurita. Shinji Akito was the appointed leader of the resistance within the Kurita village by the village elders. Well known, as a fierce ninja, who also possessed uncompromising kindness and loyalty, Akito was able to gather many followers in his fight against the oppressive Satoshi clan. With a strong belief in peace, Akito fought for many years, in an attempt to keep the wars away from his beloved village, and other villages who shared the same vision of peace. There were many battles throughout the years between the Satoshi clan and the Kurita village clans and allies, and many casulites as well.

Akito's beliefs had also been passed down to each generation after his time, and although, throughout the years, the Kurita village and it followers numbers had been decreased, and it seemed the Satoshi clan was ever expanding, the Kurita's and their allies hold the same belief and hope as their once beloved leader Akito, and the Kurita village elders. Almost as if following suit, the allies of the Kurita decided to be known to others as part of the Kurita village, even if they did not orginate from there. This was to show respect for Shinji Akito who gave his life for his loved Kurita village. Due to the wars over the years, the Kurita village had been destroyed. The Kurita would not give up in their fight against the Satoshi clan, and thus decided to split up, and travel throughout the regions to try and gain more followers, and to also see if they would be of help to any others that needed it, and also in an attempt to track down the leader of the Satoshi clan, who was well known to travel, and put an end to their trechory once and for all.

* * *

As a young member of the Kurita, Sasuke is part of the powerful Akane clan within the Kurita resistance. The Akane clan was part of the original resistance, and the origianl Kurita village. They possessed the very rare Aya eye techniques. This was an eye technique that was and remains exclusive to the Akane clan, which consists of some of the most powerful genjutsu techniques known to the ninja world. Sadly, throughout the years, and countless battles with the Satoshi clan, the Akane clan has all but been destroyed. They only remaining members are Sasuke, his father, Hikari, and his mother, Hana.

Sasuke was eager to learn all the secrets of the Akane clan, and always asked his father when he would be able to activate his Aya eyes.

_"Father!!!..When will you teach me?!!"_

_"Haha..Sasuke..you are always in such a rush..You must learn the basics before anything else.."_

_"Hmph...Father is no fun..."_

_"Don't pout Sasuke,..hahaha"_

As Hikari picks up Sasuke, a tender voice calls out to them.

_"Hikari!! Don't tease Sasuke!!"_

_"Mom..Father won't show me any of the good techniques..Can you show me some moves?"_

_"Oh, Sasuke, you're still just my little boy, you'll only be turning 7 next week..What's the rush?"_

_"MOM!!..I'm not a little boy anymore!! I'm a ninja, and I have to learn so I can protect everyone!!"_

_"Alright, alright..You're not a little boy anymore, that's true, and we all have to do what we can to protect the Kurita's, but your father is right, you must learn the basics before you can learn the good stuff..And besides that, your father is a much better teacher than I am, plus he knows the really great moves..I'm afraid you'll have to stick to his teachings if you want to learn anything good.."_

_"Ok, Mom...."_

_"Hikari, dear, finish up soon, we'll be having dinner in a little while.."_

_"Ok dear...Did you hear that Sasuke?..Even mother agrees you have to learn the basics before you can learn the good stuff.."_

_"Ok, Father..I'll listen to what you have to teach..How I am doing so far on the training?..Am I strong?"_

_"Well, Sasuke, as one of the last members of the Akane clan left in the Kurita, your progress is very impressive, even at your age...I'm very proud of you son...You were able to pick up the basic training very quickly..Now all that's left is for you to practice what I have taught you so far.."_

Sasuke couldn't help but to smile as his father patted him on his head after listening to his praising words.

_"Mother is almost finished cooking..How about we go join the rest of the Kurita and have dinner?..._

_"Father, I just want to train a little bit more..I'll be right there.."_

_"OK Sasuke..don't take too long..after we eat, we have to rest up..We're moving out early again tomorrow.."_

Watching his father walk towards the small tent where his mother was cooking, he couldn't help but admire him. He then suddenly remembered he had something he forgot to ask his father.

_"--Father!!"_

_"Hmm..What is it Sasuke?"_

_"Father...when will I activate my Aya eyes?..._

_".....It's hard to say Sasuke...for everyone in the Akane clan, it is different....It could happen as the result of vigorous training..or experienceing something very traumatizing..."_

_"When did you activate your Aya eyes, father?..'_

_"That's a story I will save for another day Sasuke......Now, finish up so we can eat...."_

Sasuke noticed a small change in Hikari after he asked that question, but he continued with his training.

After a satisfying meal with the rest of the Kurita, Hikari and Hana were getting ready to move out in the morning, by getting things packed up, as were the rest of the Kurita. Sasuke was laying down, slightly tired. As he watched his parents pack up he suddenly had some questions for them.

_"Mother..."_

_"Yes, Sasuke?..."_

_"Father once told me there were other Kurita's out there...Is that true?.."_

_"Yes, it is true Sasuke.."_

_"How come we all don't live together? Aren't we all part of the same clan?...Aren't we like famly?..."_

_"Well, Sasuke...the Kurita have been split up around many different places..It has been this way for many years....You might not understand all of this right now..but the Kurita's splitting up..Is the best thing we can do to help out others that are in trouble with the Satoshi clan members...We're all looking for the Satoshi leader, to try and convince him that trying to gain power by the means in which he is doing it.. is the wrong way...People deserve to live freely...People deserve to believe in peace...and not to be forced to believe what one person thinks is right.....Sadly, due to the Satoshi's having many followers with promises of power..or money....It was very hard to fight them all..and the Kurita village was destroyed a long time ago..Our numbers have been decreased over the years, but there are still many Kurita's traveling around out there..Just as we are doing now..with everyone else here..We still hold hope that we can change this world into a better place for everyone..and maybe gain some followers of our own to join in the fight...Unfortunately to accomplish that..we must fight..as ninja..and because of that..we lost and will continue to lose many members...But.... As comrades with our allies..we will do everything we can to accomplish that goal..So even though we come from different clans..and different villages..we are all Kurita's..We are all like family.. believing in peace"_

_"I understand Mother.."_

_"I'm happy to hear that Sasuke...You are very important to the Kurita, and as one of the last members of the Akane clan, I know you will carry on the will of our ancestors...I can only wish that you will eventually be able to enjoy this world in freedom..The way your father and I wished for you to...."_

_"Don't worry Mother..I will learn the basics..and get stronger..and protect this world..and help you and father.."_

Hikari was very proud to hear his young boy speak bright words for the future.

_"That's right, son...Your mother and I are counting on you..but for now..get some rest..."_

_"Ok Father.."_

Although, traveling around with the Kurita, and hearing the stories of the battles between the Kurita's and the Satoshi's, Sasuke had never seen or been directly involved in a fight between the two eniemes. That would change sooner than anyone would have expected.

During the night, while the Kurita's had all been resting up for their early morning, there was another Kurita traveling camp close by. Kiyoshi Sakura, four years old, was part of this traveling camp, who also were resting up for the early morning. Not realizing that they had been followed by Satoshi members, the camp was ambushed in the middle of the night by numerous Satoshi ninja. Hearing the commotion, though it was relatively far away, Hikari was woken up in the middle of the night.

_"Hana!! Wake up!!.."_

_"Hikari..what's wrong?.."_

_"Hana..it's very faint..but I can hear explosions..almost as if there is fighting happenning somewhere in the forest..."_

_"..................You're right!! I can hear it!!..."_

_"Hana, alert the rest of the members..tell them to prepare for a possible encounter..."_

_"Right!..."_

Hana rushed to each of the tents, and informed everyone about what as happening. Being trained ninja, it wasn't long before everyone was in place for an ambush on any potential intruder or enemy. Hikari woke Sasuke up, and informed him to join the rest of the children as they had practiced before.

_"Father..what's wrong?..'_

_"Sasuke..there's no time to explain..Do as I say..and join the other children in the hiding space we showed you when we first set up camp here.."_

_"But fathe--"_

_"Sasuke!! GO!!"_

Sasuke immediatey went to join the other children in the deep ditch that was carefully dug and covered up for them. As the other children were visibly frightened, Sasuke was very strong, and comforting to them.

_"Don't worry..Our parents will protect us..We must believe in them..and stay very quiet"_

Hikari took his place with Hana, and they all waited and listened carefully for any sound indication of the enemy approaching. It wasn't long before they all realized the sound of battle was drawing closer to their location. They were ready to fight.

What sounded like two or three people moving swiftly through the trees, turned in to the sound of more people in pursuit of them. Hikari and Hana activated their Aya eyes.

_"Hikari..it looks as though the people traveling in the front are trying to escape.."_

_"You're right Hana..It seems that the enemy are in pursuit of them..It looks to be about 8-9 enemies in pursuit.."_

_"Hikari..We have to protect the ones who are fleeing.."_

_"Hana..Signal the others to what is going on.."_

The Kurita were specially trained to be able to communicate with eachother in these situations. As Hana gave the hand signals, the rest of the Kurita in waiting were ready to act on Hikari's signal.

_"Hana..as soon as the three in front get past the point of the third tree to our left..we will strike.."_

_"Right.."_

The sound of the trees ruffling got louder and louder. The three in the front, were moving quickly, but the ones pursuing them were getting closer and closer. As soon as the three passed the point of which Hiakari specified, it was time to fight.

_"HANA...NOW!!!"_

Without hesitation, Hana formed her handseals, and released a genjutsu. Her genjutsu created a bright light, filling the dark forest with light, enough for the rest of the Kurita to see their enimies, and strike. Blinded and distracted at the sudden burst of light created by Hana, the first four of the eniemes were blinded, and struck down by some of the Kurita that were waiting. The three that were fleeing paused momentarily, and realized they were just saved by fellow Kurita's.

_"That's Hana-san's genjut-"_

Toshio, who had been traveling with Hikari and Hana quickly went to the three Kurita's that were being chased.

_"No need to fear friends...We will help you.."_

_"Toshio-kun!! I can't believe ..Is that really you?!!"_

_"There is no time..you must go to where the children are hiding..and take shelter!!"_

_"Toshio...We can still fight..But please, take Sakura, and bring her to where the children are since you know where it is..She was hit in the arm with a kunai..and seems to have lost alot of blood..Let us stay here and assist in this fight..There will be more to come..and we need to at least take care of the remaining ones that are already here.."_

_"Ok, give her to me..Good luck..I will return immediately.."_

Toshio took the unconscious Sakura to where the children were hiding, and laid her down.

_"Sasuke..take care of her..You guys stay here until one of us comes to get you.."_

As Toshio left, Sasuke peeked out of the ditch to see the battle. He witnessed the entire battle after that point, and even though he wanted to, he was unable to avert his eyes from the blood, and death that he saw in front of him. He saw his father move and fight as he never seen before. He saw his mother more determined and serious than he ever thought he would. He saw the rest of the Kurita he had been traveling with for all those years in a completely different light. It didn't take long for the Kurita's to dispose of the Satoshi's. Although there were reinforcements on the Satoshi's side, they were ultimately no match for the skillful and prepared Kurita's. After the battle was finally over, the Kurita's gathered together, and Hikari, as well as everyone else, wanted to hear the full story from the three that were initally being chased.

_"Please..tell us what happened..."_

_"Hikari-sama..It has been so many years since we have seen you and the others...I still cannot believe that it's all of you.."_

Hana then realized who he was.

_"You..You are Kohaku!!! I remember you from when we were young children..It has been so many years since the last time that we all met..I thought we would never see you again...Hikari..Do you remember?.."_

_"Now..I do..Kohaku...You were the one who said you liked Hana when we were young children and used to make fun of me for liking Hana because we were from the same clan..and you said even though we weren't born from the same mother or father..it would be like I was liking my own sister..didn't you?!!"_

Kohaku was very surprised at this and became very flustered.

_"Hikari-sama..I can't believe you remembered that..I..um..I..uh..I was..uh..just kidding..I knew you weren't related like that..I uh..umm.."_

Hana couldn't help but to giggle to herself.

_"Kohaku..I was just teasing you...Please..Tell us what happened..."_

_"...We were all sleeping..getting ready to continue traveling in the morning..when we were suddenly attacked by the Satoshi's...They must've spotted us earlier in the day..and were planning the attack since then...We were completely caught off guard.....Our camp was completely destroyed...and everyone else....Everyone else...is dead.........We tried to fight back..but it was already to late to react...All of our comrades...the children......Our family....was killed....We tried...Hana...Hikari...We really tried...We tried...but we were ambushed...I still can't believe it......The only child we were able to save was Kiyoshi Sakura....and even she was injured, and almost killed..."_

_"Kohaku..does that mean her parents were..."_

_"Yes, Hana...Her parents are dead...."_

It was completely silent as everyone tried to grasp the situation. After a period of silence, Hana finally spoke again.

_"I'm going to get the children...I want to look at Sakura's injuries and help her..and I also want to make sure they're all alright.."_

Hana went to check on the children, and as soon as she pulled back the cover to the ditch, she noticed Sasuke looked very scared.

_"Sasuke!! What's wrong?!!"_

He jumped into her arms, and hugged her tightly.

_"Mother..I was so scared...You and father...I saw you fighting...It was scary..You looked so different..I saw people die...Mother..please don't die..."_

_"Sasuke..."_

She was so touched and surprised at her son's reaction. She had to fight the tears from rolling down her face.

_"Sasuke...You are a ninja...Remember?...There will come a day...When you will have to fight to protect the ones you love..the same way your father and I just fought to protect you and the Kurita...It's our ultimate mission.....Remember what we spoke about earlier?...Hmm..Sasuke?...You will be a man, and fight for peace...Your father and I will always love you..and will do the best we can to protect you..No matter what happens...You are our son...We are proud of you...and we will always love you..So no more worries for tonight..Alright?..I have to help that little girl..She is hurt..You'll be alright Sasuke..."_

He understood his mothers words, and took comfort in what she said.

_"Ok, Mother.."_

_"Ok...Why don't you help me take care of her Sasuke? And the rest of you children..wipe your tears..Your families are waiting for you..Let's go to them.."_

_"Yes mother.."_

He wiped his tears, and followed his mother, who was carrying Sakura, back to her tent. Hana gave Sakura first aid to her wound.

_"Mom..will she be alright?.."_

_"Yes, Sasuke..her wound will heal up in no time..."_

_"Mother..if she will be ok, how come you still look so sad?"_

_"Well Sasuke, this little girl....Her parents were killed tonight...and she will be very sad when she asks where they are..and we have to tell her that she can't see them anymore...So I feel sad because I know that she will feel sad.."_

Sasuke suddenly felt very sad as well. He looked up at his mother, and realized again how sad he would be if he ever lost her. He then looked down at the sleeping Sakura. Instead of allowing the tears he felt welling up in his eyes come out, he clenched his fists, and felt very determined.

_"Mother.."_

_"...??...."_

_"Mother..I will protect her from now on...She will stay with us..and I will learn the basics from father to get strong..strong enough to protect her..to protect you..and the Kurita.."_

Surprised at what he just said, and also very proud, Hana embraced her son tighlty.

_"That's my son.....She will need you...Make sure to get really strong..."_

The Kurita were finally able to get some rest. They still were planning to move along in the morning. Hikari decided that Kohaku, Sakura, and the others would now travel with them as part of their camp, and before they actually left, they would return to the campsite of their fallen comrades, and lay their bodies to rest. Unaware of everything that was going on Sakura, slept throughout the entire night.

She awoke early in the morning, to everything that was so unfamiliar to her. Hana was already awake, making last minute prepartions to leave. Sasuke was outside with Hikari training as usual.

_"Ah..Good morning Sakura!!"_

In a very low voice, Sakura spoke to Hana.

_"Um..Who are you?"_

_"My name is Hana..It's nice to meet you, Sakura.."_

As Sakura looked around, her face took on a very scared, puzzled expression. Hana realized it was a very delicate situation.

_"Where is mommy and daddy?.."_

_"Sakura...Please listen to me carefully....Do you remember what happened last night?"_

* * *

_"Think carefully...Do you remember anything at all?.."_

Sakura thought and tried to remember what happened the previous night. Little by little, short flashbacks were coming to her. Hana watched closely. Sakura continued to think, and tears were filling up her eyes. She looked at her arm, and remembered when she was hit by the kunai.

_"MOMMY....DADDY...HELP ME.....NOOOOOOOO!!"_

Hana hugged Sakura tightly as she cried, and Hikari and Sasuke ran in after hearing the screaming.

_"Hana..."_

_"It's alright, dear..It'll just take some time...."_

After she cired for a while, she went to sleep, and slept until mid afternoon. Hikari and the others already left to lay the bodies of their fallen comrades to rest, and Hana and Sasuke stayed behind to keep an eye on Sakura. As Hana left the tent to boil some water, Sasuke watched Sakura sleep intently, and thought to himself how sad it was that she didn't have a mother and a father anymore. Sakura opened her eyes, looked up, and started to cry. She then heard Sasuke's voice and turned to look at him.

_"You don't have to worry Sakura..I know it's very sad now..but you don't have to cry any more..."_

_"But my mommy and daddy are gone now...*sniff*..Mommy and Daddy..they're gone...And now..I'm all alone....*sniff*..._

_"You're not alone...Because I'm going to protect you..now..and always...."_

Her eyes widened as she was very surprised at what Sasuke said.

_"But..I have no mommy and daddy anymore.."_

_"It's ok, my mommy and daddy will take care of you now...and everyone in the Kurita will also take care of you too.."_

She was crying so much out of sadness for what happened, and happiness to what Sasuke just said, she was barely able to say:

_"...*sniff*..Thank you...*sniff*.."_

They then shared a smile with eachother. Hana was watching, and she also had to smile at how proud she was of her son's maturity at such a young age. Just then, Hikari and the others returned, and Hikari put his arm around Hana.

_"Is everything alright, dear?.."_

_"We've raised a fine son, dear..He's going to be a great ninja..and a wonderful man..."_

_"I always knew he would be..After all.., he has great parents..haha"_

_"Oh, Hikari..Stop it..haha"_

* * *

Three years had passed since that time. Sasuke had grown into a fine young boy, and Sakura had adjusted well to life traveling with the Akane's and the rest of the Kurita. Throughout the years, Sasuke remained diligent in his trainings with his father, and even though he has yet to unlock the Aya eyes, he has learned a full arsenal of techniques from his father.

_"How's that, father?"_

_"Phew..Sasuke..I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with you for that much longer with all the progress you've made..."_

_"Father...I still haven't activated Aya eyes yet, so there are still alot of techniques that you'll have to teach me when I do..."_

_"I guess you're right son, but remember what I told you...Every Akane member activates their eyes at different points in their lives..Some sooner then others..and some much later...My good friend Rei didn't activate his until he was 19 years old..So give it time son. Besides that, I'm really proud of you son..You've completely mastered the basics..And you've also become quite skillful at using the katon affinity...That took me years to master..You should be very happy...You're quite the talented young ninja..."_

_"..Thank you for teaching me all of this..I couldn't have done it without you.."_

_"Aww..son..you're going to make your old dad cry..."_

_"FATHER...Cut it out!!!.."_

_"Dear, are you teasing Sasuke again?.."_

_"Hana..let me have some fun with the boy..hahaha.."_

_"Hikari..don't tease so much..and hurry up..we're getting ready to eat.."_

Sasuke wasn't the only one to have trained throughout the years. Hana had been teaching Sakura alot of moves as well. She had also become a skilled young ninja, and Hana would often praise her to the other Kurita.

It had been a long three years for the Kurita. They had continued to travel, and continued to have many encounters with the Satoshi. Both Sakura and Sasuke had become very active in helping the Kurita during battles, although Hana and Hikari would never let them go to far. Although the Kurita dealt with many hardships throughout the past three years, and even lost some more of their members along the way, they ultimately pulled together, and became very close with everyone in the traveling camp. Little did they know that all of this was going to change much sooner then they could have ever expected.

After Sasuke and Hikari finished their daily training, they joined the other Kurita for dinner. They all sat around eachother, as they would do daily. They laughed and shared stories, and were just having a good time in eachother's company. This good time abruptly came to an end, when an explosive tag landed right in the middle of them, courtesy of the Satoshi, causing a sudden devastion to the Kurita. A bit disoriented, Hikari suddenly tried to take control of the situation by directing the uninjured members to act quickly.

_"Ughh..Hana..Hana.."_

_"..*cough*..I'm alright..*cough*..."_

_"Hana..it's an ambush...I can't believe this..EVERYONE..IN POSITION...QUICKLY..WE NEED TO TURN THIS AROUND..EVERYONE...BE ON GUARD!!"_

Sasuke was knocked out, and suffered minor burns, but he awakened to the sound of his fathers voice.

_"SASUKE...SASUKE!!!!....ARE YOU OK?!!"_

_"Father..I'm alright..*cough*..."_

_"SASUKE..IT'S AN AMBUSH...FIND SAKURA...AND YOU GUYS TRY TO PROTECT THE OTHER KIDS...JUST LIKE WE ALWAYS PLAN SASUKE...I'M COUNTING ON YOU!!"_

_"Yes, father!!"_

Sasuke pulled himself together, and tried to find Sakura among the people that were injured. While doing so, he realized how many people actually died from the explosive tag. He suddenly felt very worried.

_"SAKURA!!!........SAKURA!!!..WHERE ARE YOU?!!!.."_

As he looked around, there were so many Satoshi already there, engaged in battles with the Kurita. He tried to remain focused on what his father asked him to do.

_"SAKURA!!..ANSWER ME!!!.."_

He then heard her voice.

"SASUKE!! I'M OVER HERE!!"

There she was, laying on the floor, with her leg visibly injured.

_"Sakura..are you alright?!!"_

_"I'm alright Sasuke.."_

_"Sakura, we have to try and save the other kids..We have to bring them to the hiding place..Can you move?!!"_

_"I can..It's not as bad as it looks..Let's go Sasuke!!"_

They both had kunai's in their hands, as they tried to search for the other kids. They looked around. All they could see were battles..Kurita's dying..and more Satoshi's coming.

_"Sasuke..I don't see them..I don't see them!!..There are so many people dying!! Sasuke..we should help fight them!!.."_

_"Sakura..This is what my father wants us to do...We have to trust them and leave the fighting to them..We can come back to help them after we get the others to safety.."_

_"But Sasuke..I don't see them...Sasuke!!.."_

They kept searching, staying low, and away from the battles that were going on. As they continued to search, one by one, they noticed each of the other children they were looking for, were already dead. Sasuke couldn't believe what he was seeing.

_"Sasuke....Sasuke..they're gone..They're gone Sasuke.."_

* * *

_"Sasuke..We should help them fight!.."_

In shock, he wasn't hearing anything Sakura was telling him. As if in a daze, his facial expression went completely blank. His mind was slowly processing everything that was happening. All of the deaths of his comrades, his friends, his mentors..They were all dying in front of him. Without even realizing, as if his body was moving on it's own, he stood straight up. Sakura screamed for him.

_"SASUKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.."_

One of the Satoshi had spotted Sasuke, and was just about to end his life. Before this could happen, Hikari appeared, and killed the Satoshi within seconds. He suddenly grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders, and shook him.

_"SASUKE..GET A GRIP...SASUKE!!!"_

That brought Sasuke semi back to life, as he looked in the eyes of his father, all he could manage to say was:

_"Father..I-I've failed you..They're all dead..They're all dead..THEY'RE ALL DEAD!!!!!!.."_

Hikari slapped Sasuke across the face.

_"Sasuke..it's alright..I know they are..You could never fail me...Take Sakura and go to the hiding place..and don't you dare come out until it's over.."_

_"FATHER!!.."_

_"SASUKE!!..GO NOW!!.."_

_"....Yes Father..."_

Sakura wished to stay and fight.

_"Akane-sama..PLEASE...Let me and Sasuke help you and Hana..PLEASE..We can fight..."_

_"Sakura...Take care of eachother..."_

_"WAIT!!..LET US..LET US STAY!!...WAIT!!..._

Hikari looked at Sasuke. Sasuke then picked up Sakura and took her away. He watched them escape to the hiding place and made sure the Satoshi wouldn't make a move on them. When they were safely hidden, Hikari returned to the battlefield. At this point, the Kurita, had been almost completely wiped out. There were only a few left, Hikari, Hana, Kohaku, Toshio, and a few others. The Satoshi completely outnumbered the remaining Kurita.

_"Hana..Toshio, Kohaku...We can take them.."_

_"Hikari?!!!.."_

_"Kohaku...I know it looks really bad, but we can take them...They had the element of surprise, and even though we are outnumbered..they are outclassed.. Our skills are superior to theirs..They are low ranking ninjas..We could definti--"_

_"I THINK NOT, HIKARI!!!!"_

_"This voice...."_

Hikari was completely surprised.

"_Hikari..whose voice is that?!!!"_

_"Hana..it's Ken--"_

_"Oh, lovely Hana-san, you hurt my feelings...I can't believe you didn't remember me...."_

As the mysteious man with the voice Hikari remembered instantly finally reveals himself, Hana is shocked to see who it is.

_"It..I-It can't be...You are..."_

_"That's right..It's your good friend Kenichi!!!.."_

Kenichi is an elite ranking ninja from the Satoshi clan. He hasn't revealed himself in quite some time, since his last encounter with Hikari over 10 years ago. Hikari almost lost to Kenichi long ago, and as a result of their battle, Hikari was badly injured, and almost died. If it wasn't for the interference of a senior Kurita member long ago, Hikari would have died. Kenichi's speed is unrivaled, and this proved to be very difficult for Hikari.

_"Hikari..of the already dead Akane clan..It's been a while..."_

* * *

_"Speechless..Really?..I'm flattered...HAHAHA...How does it feel to come face to face with one of the worst possible match ups to those famous Aya eyes you possess?..Hmmm?..If it wasn't for that old geezer getting in my way that time..I would've been able to deliver your head to our leader....I took such great pleasure in being one of the only opponents who could firmly stand against that eye technique of yours....Then again, had you truly unlocked it's power..I wouldn't have been able to get as far as I did..HAHAHAHA.."_

* * *

_"My speed is unrivaled, Hikari...and though those eyes allow you some of the best genjutsu techniques known to the world..You never quite took the time to really master the Aya secrets....Your ancestors would be so disappointed in you...HAHAHAHA....."_

_"..tsk..."_

_"..HOHOHO...That seemed to piss you off a bit...Does the truth bother you Hikari?...You can't even compare to the Akane Matsu that served with Shinji Akito...Now he was a true master of the Aya eye...The Satoshi still tell tales of how hard those two were to deal with in their time....Maybe you didn't know that the Aya eye possess more than just genjutsu..Or maybe you thought to highly of yourself to think that you should ever learn all the secrets to the Aya eye...Hmmm..I wonder?...Either way..such a marvelous gift has been watsed on a rather pathetic human.."_

_"..You..bastard...Talking as if you know the history of the Akane so well....What's the matter Kenichi..Is the truth that you always wished to be born into the Akane...instead of that trash..Satoshi clan?!!..."_

_"Watch your mouth you lowlife..The so called trash you speak of, just offed your entire pathetic excuse of a ninja clan..the Kurita..and pretty soon..We'll exterminate you bugs all together..HAHAHAHA..."_

_"Kenichi..No more talk you scum..You came here for a reason..Let's get on with it!!.."_

_"You're right..I came here to kill you..But before I do that...I want you to watch me kill the others first..I think I'll take the greatest pleasure in killing that lovely wife of yours..What do you think about that Hana-chan?..And when I'm done..I'll pluck your eyes out this way..the Akane will be completely erradicated..Does that sound nice Hana-chan?..Let's get started.."_

In a flash, Kenichi had already killed Toshio and Kohaku. Hana screamed out.

_"KOHAKU..TOSHIO!!!.......Hikari..His speed..we're no match for him..."_

_"HAHAHA...You guys are worthless...This isn't as fun as I thought it would be...What?..Did you think I stayed the same after all these years?...HAHAHA..I'm even faster then I was 10 years ago....Come on..Hikari..Entertain me a bit.."_

_"KENICHI...YOU BASTARD...THIS IS BETWEEN YOU AND ME...FIGHT ME ONE ON ONE!!!.."_

_"Don't make me laugh Hikari..You're no match for me..You weren't then, and you aren't now..I told you..You should've explored those eyes of yours a little more...If you had..It would've been me that didn't stand a chance against you...But you chose the peaceful life..You were never interested in advancing your power..You were to busy trying to save the world..You settled with the skills you were naturally gifted with..And while against most oppenents..that would be enough for you to win..and even look as if you were quite skilled..It won't be enough to take me on..In fact..you don't even scratch the surface..."_

* * *

_"Ughh..You bore me Hikari..I'm ending this now!!!.."_

_"NO...DON"T Y--!!"_

And just like that, before he could even finish his sentence, Hikari witnessed his beloved Hana fall to the hands of Kenichi.

_"H..I..KAR..I.."_

_"HANAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

As he supported her up, she looked into his eyes, and with the last of her breath, she said:

_"Dear,....I've always loved...you..I regret ..nothing...Sasuke....Sasuke..will carry on...our will...He will change..this world..he will..be a wonderful.....man..just...like...his..fathe-......."_

_"Hana...Hana...Hana..Hana..Hana..HANAAAA!!!!!!!!..HANAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!..NOOOOO!!!!_

_"Aww..how touching..I almost felt that in my heart..HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!.."_

_".................. goodbye...darling............."_

_"Don't worry Hikari..you'll see her..sooner then you think..HAHAHAHA!!!!!"_

With everything he had left, he activated his Aya eyes, and for the first time ever, his eyes were the darkest shade of blue.

_"So Hikari..This is what it takes for you to finally put those eyes to good use....It's too bad..You're too late..You may have activated them to their highest level..but without training..you will have no control of that power..."_

_"SHUT UP KENICHI!!!!!..I'M SICK OF HEARING YOUR VOICE!!!!"_

_"HOHO...Don't let the blood rush to your head now Hikari!!!.."_

* * *

_"I see you're serious..So let's end this here and now.."_

Although Sasuke and Sakura had safely escaped to the hiding place, they witnessed the entire encounter. Both Sasuke and Sakura were speechless throughout the entire fight. Although they wanted to help, the cause from fear and shock did not allow either one to even move. They could do nothing but watch. Sasuke's entire world had crumbled before him, and there wasn't anything he could do to help. He watched in awe at the last fight his father would ever fight, while the tears streamed down his face. He witnessed his father display the rarest genjutsu techniques he had ever seen, mixed with the speed his newly advanced Aya eyes allowed. Although his father was admirable to watch, it was just as Kenichi said, Hikari had not mastered the techniques, and that wasn't the time for him to learn. Kenichi bested Hikari, and Sasuke watched as he delivered the last fatal blow.

_"Hikari...Had you unlocked that power sooner..and had the time to actually master it...You could have been on par with me...I can't even call you a worthy rival..You were to pathetic to be considered my rival...Now you can die knowing that your people will be picked off one by one..and the Satoshi will rule the entire world.."_

It was over. Kenichi and the Satoshi had completely demolished the Kurita that day. The only surviors, were Sasuke and Sakura. The Satoshi looked around the camp briefly before departing. The day that started out normally and promising for the Kurita, had turned to the worst day in Sasuke's life. Barely able to summon the strength back to his legs, he slowly walked over to where the bodies of his mother and father laid. The tears wouldn't stop. The feeling in his heart, was undescribable. He fell to his knees next to his father and sobbed. Sakura stood behind him, and cried. He threw himself over his father's chest and cried. His father, was barely alive, and let out a slight breath.

_"Sasuke......"_

_"FATHER?!!!!!!..."_

_"Sasuke...listen to your father's last words......"_

_"FATHER...NO...PLEASE..DON'T..DI--"_

_"Sasuke.....in my pocket..there is a scroll....of the Akane clan's history......and the Aya secrets..Sasuke....I wanted to wait.....to give this...to..you...Sasuke....You..must..continue..to fight..you must...carry on.......You will come across other Kurita....help them...Sasuke..help them..fight.....protect the peace...Sasuke..protect Sakura....take care of eachother....Your mother and I.....we...loved..you...and we..were always....so proud...You will learn the....history of the Akane...and you will learn... things about our clan that you... may not understand or.. like....I wanted to be there to teach you...but..I know..my son..will know...the truth behind...everything..be happy my son...be happy..in this..world....goodbye---...."_

_"FATHER!!!!!...FATHER!!!!!!!....FATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!......"_

It happened. Sasuke had finally awakened his Aya eyes. Sakura looked on as he cried uncontrollably, and was surprised to see Sasuke's awakened eyes. For all the years he waited to awaken his clans unique abilities, he never imagined he would awaken under those circumstances. He would forever be changed. That day will live on in his heart for the rest of his life. He and Sakura finished laying their comrades bodies to rest. They cried as they remembered all the good times they shared remembered their family. Sasuke stood above the graves of his mother and father, and continued to sob. Sakura hugged him from behind, and gently said to him:

_"Sasuke...You once told me that you would always protect me and take care of me...Sasuke...I will always protect you too...I will always be by your side...and I will always take care of you..."_

As they stood there, they cried into the night..A new path will begin for the two. But each vowed to always be together. This sad chapter has come to an end for them, but the journey has just begun. Their bond will be tested..and they will face more hardships along the way.

* * *

To be continued....


	2. The Journey Continues

It had been eight years since that tragic event, and Sasuke and Sakura had grown up. They spent the years traveling around to many different places. The years were very difficult on them, and there were many times they thought they wouldn't survive. Numerous near death encounters with the Satoshi were very trying on the two young ninja throughout the years. However, they found solice with the Kurita's they encountered along the way. Always welcomed with open arms, they drew strength from their extended Kurita family. Never staying to long with one particular camp, Sasuke and Sakura decided to remain constantly on the move, and over time, though they would never refuse to assist the Kurita they met during their travels, they became more comfortable traveling with just the two of them, successfully defeating many Satoshi along the way.

Within those eight long years, both Sasuke and Sakura had became very skilled ninja. Sasuke's Aya eyes had proved to be one his greatest strengths, and earned him a reputation among many, Kurita and Satoshi alike, as the feared last member of the Akane. His skills were more advanced then many elite ninja. Sasuke's personality had greatly changed througout the years. He became a young man of very few words. He rarely ever smiled or laughed. To many, he was very unapproachable and distant, however, he was always very protective of his fellow Kurita, and also very protective of Sakura. He had become very self reliant, and very independent. Although it was Sakura who had been with him through the tragic event of his parents death, over the years, it seemed that he had tried to distance himself from a deep emotional bond with her. The scroll that was entrusted to him by his father, remained something that he kept very private. It helped to advance his techniques, but it also had a secret within it that he would not reveal to anyone. Even with the distance he attempted to create emotionally between himsef and Sakura, she was the most important person to him. Sakura's positive attitude had played an important role for Sasuke through the years, and would serve as a reminder of the kindness and love he missed from his parents. His main goal was to find Kenichi, and get revenge for his parents, and eventually, take down the Satoshi leader.

Sakura became a very powerful kunochi. Her intelligence was often praised among the Kurita. She also possessed tremendous physical strength. She was very well known for her kindness and willingness to help others, and her optimistic attitude. While traveling, she met with a senior member of the Kurita, Kazue, who knew Sakura's parents long ago, before they died. She spent many hours talking with Kazue, and gained some insight of her inherited abilites. She was told of how grateful the Kurita were to the Kiyoshi's for their sacrifices over the years, and how proud Sakura should be to have inherited the same qualities and strengths her parents once possessed. When she and Sasuke had eventully parted ways with that particular Kurita camp, she left with a sense of pride, which only strengthened her determination to help in the ongoing fight against the Satoshi. Always protective of Sasuke, she has remained by his side. And although at times she gets frustrated with Sasuke for wanting to do everything on his own, she remains the closest to his heart. She often sees Sasuke reading the scroll that Hikari left him late at night, and was always curious about what information it contained, however, when she would ask Sasuke, he would often reply "It's only for the Akane to know". At times, Sasuke would be very cold towards her, but she could never forget the kindness he showed her when they were younger, and is usually able to brush of his cold demeanor.

Often searching for information on the Satoshi, they were constantly on the move following leads provided to them by fellow Kurita, or villages they would encounter along the way. They were successful in taking down many large Satoshi bases in different locations, at times with the help of fellow Kurita, and times with just the two of them, thus freeing some villages of the Satoshi grip, and gaining more allies for the Kurita. Their names had become well known throughout the years, as the young bringers of peace for those oppressed by the Satoshi, which proved to instill a newfound hope for the Kurita. They also became quite infamous to the Satoshi, who remained constantly on the lookout for them, however, any Satoshi dispatched with the mission of defeating them, had never returned. Although defeating countless Satoshi's over the years, they have yet to find the exact location of the Satoshi leader, and still have many battles ahead of them. They remain hopeful as their journey continues.

* * *

_"Sasuke..We've been traveling since early morning....I think we should stop and rest for a bit...."_

_"We'll stop soon.."_

_"Sasuke..It's already late afternoon..and I'm hungry..Besides..we'll have to stop soon to set up camp for tonight..And I'm really hungry..."_

_"Stop complaining...We'll stop soon..."_

_"Sasu-..."_

_"Sakura...We're on our way to the the Kyou village...Kokoro said it would take six days to reach threre, and it would be even harder to actually locate once we're there...That was four days ago...We can cover more ground if we don't stop..and make the trip in five days instead of six..."_

_"Fine......Hey..Sasuke..Do you think Kokoro and the others will be alright?...If we hadn't made it there when we did...things might have turned out really bad for them..."_

_"Kokoro and the rest of the Kurita from that camp understand perfectly well the dangers we all face when dealing with the Satoshi..."_

_"I know..but --"_

_"We were able to lend them the assistance they needed...We must continue moving forward...Besides..they've been traveling for many years before we came along to help..They share the same mission we do...They'll be fine...Don't underestimate them so easily...They're ninja..Just like us.."_

_"I guess you're right.......Sasuke....Do you really think we'll be able to find Naoki in the Kyou village?.. "_

_"Kokoro said he's there..So we have no choice but to look..."_

_"Even if he is there...Do you really think he'll be willing to give us the information we need?..."_

_"We have to try...According to Kokoro, this Naoki person is the only one who might have information regarding the main Satoshi headquaters in this area...and he also might have information on Kenichi..."_

_"Kenichi...."_

_"Yes, Kenichi........And even if he doesn't have information on Kenichi..It'll be enough to learn the location of the Satoshi..."_

_"OK!!..Let's go!!..We'll find Naoki and make him tell us what he knows!!..If we can locate the Satoshi base here..we can take out the base..and interrogate one of the Satoshi and make him tell us what we want to know!!!...'_

_"Sakura.....That was the plan in the first place.."_

_"SASUKE!..You are so mean!!...I'm just a bit exicted...If we find the base here..this will be yet another Satoshi base we've taken out within the past three and a half years..."_

_"Yeah..."_

_"Alot of the bases we were able to take down... We were only able to do it with the help of the Kurita we met up with along the way..and even then it was very difficult...The last base we took down..I didn't think we would be able to do it with just the two of us Sasuke...I was actually very scared...HAHAHA...But...you...You were so calm...You didn't look worried at all..."_

_".....Yeah, I guess...."_

As she thought about the last Satoshi base they were able to bring down, she remembered how strong Sasuke really had become over the years.

_"..I think you actually could have done it without me, Sasuke...."_

_"......That's not true....."_

_"...?!!!.."_

_"...I was only able to do it because you were with me..."_

_"..Really?..."_

_"...Yeah....Now let's keep moving...We still have alot of ground to cover..."_

_"Ok Sasuke.."_

Sakura had always known Sasuke to be very independent since his parents were killed, and often wondered if she was really helpful to him throughout their travels together. Hearing Sasuke say that made her very happy. They continued traveling for a few more hours when Sasuke decided they should stop and rest, knowing they would be more successful in a possible encounter with Satoshi if they were well rested.

_"Sakura...We're stopping..."_

_"Really?...We still have about another two hours before sunset...Don't you want to keep moving?..."_

_"..You were hungry before..And besides...We've covered alot of ground by not stopping before...We can afford to take a break..This way..We'll also be able to set out early tomorrow.."_

_"Hmm...Let me guess...You're hungry too Sasuke..hehehe"_

_"....tsck......."_

_"Don't get mad Sasuke..hehe..I'll start setting up...."_

It wasn't long before Sakura had a fire set up, and was almost ready for dinner. Kokoro and the rest of the last Kurita camp they helped, made sure to send them off with plenty of food for their journey to the Kyou village.

_"..Hey Sasuke...We passed a small pond not to long ago..I'm going to get some water..."_

_"..Be careful.."_

_"Don't worry...I'll be back soon.."_

As Sakura took off, Sasuke pulled out the scroll his father left him. He did this often when he was alone. He read it very intently, and his facial expression seemed to be very despondent, as it always was whenever he read the scroll.

Meanwhile, Sakura had made it to the small pond they passed earlier. As she filled up the small containers with water, she looked around at the scenery, and said out loud:

_"..So peaceful...I wish everywhere we went to was this peaceful..."_

Her appreciation for the peaceful scenery was short-lived. She suddenly heard the trees ruffle, followed by a scream.

_"..What was that?!..."_

She carefully made her way towards the sound of the noise, and hid herself among the trees. She then saw a young teenage girl laying on the ground crying, with blood coming from her arm. A short distance away were five Satoshi ninja.

"_Please...Please..Leave me alone!!!!..."_

_"Little brat...Quit your whining...Tell us where Noaki is!!!..."_

Sakura then thought to herself:

_"..Did he just say Naoki?!!!!..."_

She continued to listen.

_"..Please..let me go!!!.."_

_"We know you and the other little brat we just killed are from the Kyou village...Tell us where it is if you don't want to end up like him....We have business with Naoki!!.."_

_"..Please..Leave the Kyou village alone...We remain neutral in the wars...Please don't ruin our village...We want nothing to do with the Satoshi...Please!!..."_

_"Fool...Neutral or not..Satoshi will rule all....Whether you tell us or not..We will find your village and take it for the Satoshi!!..If you value your life..This is the last chance to tell us...."_

_"..Please...No...Please..."_

_"What a fool...Die for your insolence!!!.."_

As the Satoshi threw his kunai at the young girl, to his, and the rest of the Satoshi's surprise, a kunai came flying from the trees and deflected the kunai from hitting the girl.

_"..Who threw that?!!..Come out and face us!!!"_

Without hesitation, Sakura emerged from the trees, and stood in front of the girl.

_"..Just who the hell do you think you are?!!..Do you have a death wish interfering with the Satoshi?!.."_

_"..Death wish?..Not at all...I just thought I would even the odds a bit..Seeing as it's five trained ninja against one normal girl..."_

_"HAHAHAHA...Don't make us laugh...So another little girl pretending to be a ninja is going to take us on?!!..You really must have a death wish little girl...It's five of us against you..I don't think you've evened the odds in the slightest..HAHAHAHA"_

_"..I guess you're right...You might want to get some more guys and then try and take me on..Then I think that should make it a fair fight.."_

_"HAHAHA..How dare you insult us...We won't go easy on you..."_

_"Good...You won't be able to defeat me if you planned on taking it easy..."_

_"YOU LITTLE BITCH!!!!!..."_

_"..You..Go and hide..This should be over soon..."_

The girl was in awe of Sakura. So much so, she hesitated a bit, but she listened to Sakura and went to go hide. As she peeked at the fight, she was amazed at Sakura's skill, and power. Sakura was graceful, not allowing one hit to land on her. One by one, the Satoshi fell to Sakura's raw power. She only had to hit each one only once. Almost as soon as the fight began, the fight was over, and Sakura was easily victorious. The girl couldn't believe her eyes. Sakura then made her way over to the girl and smiled.

_"Are you alright?.."_

_"..I..uh..I'm..a-alright.."_

_"..You seemed to be wounded...There...your left arm is bleeding..."_

_"..Um..Yea...I..uh..got hit with a kunai when I was trying to run away..."_

_"..Let me treat your wound..Come with me..I have some medicine back at the campsite me and my friend set up...It's not to far from here..."_

_"...Um...alright..."_

As they got back to the campsite, Sasuke was visibly mad.

_"Sakura...What took you so long?!!..."_

_"Sasuke...I just rescued this girl from Satoshi ninja...:"_

_"..I told you to be careful..And instead..You get into a fight!!.."_

_"It's not like I planned it Sasuke!!..I couldn't just leave her there to die!!.."_

The girl was a bit overwhelmed by the way those two argued.

_"..Um...Excuse me...I'm really sorry to cause you trouble..."_

_"Oh, no..It's no trouble at all..hehe..We fight like this all the time...This is Sasuke..and I'm Sakura...We're ninja from the Kurita..."_

_"Kurita?!!....Sasuke and Sakura?!!!..."_

_"Yep..."_

_"..It can't be...You are the two famous Kurita ninja we've heard stories about in our village?!!.."_

_"Well..I don't know anything about us being famous..hehe..But we are Sasuke and Sakura from the Kurita...What's your name?..."_

_"..Um..I am Ran Masami, from the Kyou village..."_

_"..?!!!..Did she just say from the Kyou village?!!..."_

_"Yeah, Sasuke..The Satoshi I defeated were chasing her, trying to locate the Kyou village...I overheard them saying they were looking for Naoki..."_

_"..What would they want with Naoki?!!..."_

_"..I don't really know...Hey..Masami...Can you tell us what happened back there?..."_

_"....My brother and I were on our way back to the village after our trip from the Mayu village, sent there by our grandfather to deliver a letter to one of the Mayu village elders...During our trip there..We managed to avoid anyone along the way..But returning...We weren't so fortunate....We were surprised by Satoshi ninja that spotted us...They recognized the symbol of the Kyou village my brother was wearing on his shirt....They immediately questioned us to the whereabouts of the Kyou village...My brother would not give them the information they seeked....So..they...killed him..."_

As she told the story, Masami began to cry, but she continued.

_"..Our village has remained neutral in the ongoing wars...We chose to stay hidden away from the world with a special shield around the village created by the elders that makes it nearly impossibe for just anyone to find...We share this in common with the Mayu village...My brother wanted to continue to protect the village from the wars..and that's why he wouldn't tell them...He told me to run away..and he tried to fight them long enough to give me time to escape...but he was no match for them.....They followed me...and that's when you saved me Sakura...."_

_"..There you go, you're wound is all bandaged up now Masami....I'm very sorry to hear about what happened to your brother.......Masami....Do you know what they wanted from Naoki?...."_

_"..Thank you for treating my wound Sakura...I don't really know what they wanted with Naoki....Naoki is one of the oldest members of the Kyou village...and although the Kyou village remains neutral..Naoki has alot of information on what goes on outside of the village..and despite his age...he is one of the only members of the Kyou village that travels outside of the village constantly...Naoki has many trusted allies and friends from many different villages..and also..many members within the Kurita...He is also a very skilled ninja...My only guess would be the Satoshi wish to eliminate him..and take control of the Kyou village..or attempt to learn of the information he possesses of the other villages they have yet to take control of..."_

_"Why doesn't the Kyou village just join up with us Kurita to help the fight against the Satoshi?.."_

_"..It's not that simple Sakura....The Kyou village is a very small village, where they're are many more civilians then there are ninja...To the Kyou village..War is a thing of the past...And we have been able to enjoy peace within our village for many many years without getting involved....The elders would never agree to be a part of the wars..and neither would the villagers..."_

_"..That's complete nonsense.."_

_"...What??!!!.."_

_"Sasuke!!.."_

_"..It is nonsense Sakura...The Kyou village is merely turning their backs to the real world....Even if they believe war is a thing of the past...They're mistaken..War is still happenning....And it's only a matter of time before the Satoshi find the Kyou village and take control of it...Even if the village isn't consisted of many ninja, if they were to ally with the Kurita, Kurita would go to the village and provide assistance to them without any hesitation...And as the Kurita could help them..they can help the Kurita..They are just choosing not to...The Kyou village is being selfish...They aren't the only ones who wish to enjoy peace...That peace the Kyou village has been enjoying will be shattered by the Satoshi eventually..."_

_"....I guess you're right Sasuke...."_

_"...But..but..--.??!!.."_

As Masami took in Sasuke's words, she couldn't help but drop her head in shame. He was completey right, and there was nothing she could think of to say to defend her villages beliefs. She got up, and went to sit alone. Sakura went to console her.

_"Masami...Sometimes..Sasuke is very harsh when he talks...But he is only saying that because we have seen firsthand the devastation the Satoshi can cause to those that oppose them...The Satoshi are already looking for the Kyou village..And they will continue looking...and they are ruthless in their pursuit of what they wish to control...If it's alright with you Masami...Sasuke and I would like to accompany you to Kyou village...It's dangerous to continue on alone...And I think we should inform the elders of the Satoshi looking for your village..."_

Masami found talking to Sakura put her at ease. She replied to her in a low voice.

_"....Alright..Sakura..."_

_"..Ok..How about you get some rest...You can even sleep in my tent..We'll be leaving early in the morning.._ "

"_..Thank you..."_

Masami was alseep in no time. Sakura went back to where Sasuke was, and sat across from him.

_"..Hey Sasuke...Sometimes you're a bit mean.."_

_"..It's the truth Sakura..."_

_"..I know..but Masami is still very young..."_

_"She'll have to learn the truth sometime..."_

_"....I guess...."_

_"Will she take us to Kyou village?.."_

_"Yeah...It's too dangerous for her to make the rest of the trip by herself anyway,..so we can help her get home..and find the Kyou village at the same time...Sasuke..from what it sounds like..it might be easier to get the information from Naoki then what we first thought it would be since Masami said he had a good relationship with the Kurita..like Kokoro..."_

_"..We'll see when we get there...I think we should also get some rest Sakura..I want to start early again tomorrow..and the trip might be delayed since we now have another person traveling with us.."_

_"..Ok..Sasuke.."_

Sasuke let Sakura sleep in his tent, and he slept sitting up against a tree. They all slept through the night, and woke early in the morning and contiued their journey to the Kyou village. They were able to make it there sooner then they originally thought thanks to Masami's help. When they finally reached the entrance to the Kyou village, they were greeted by two cautiously approaching ninja guards. Masami quickly informed the guards they were Sasuke and Sakura of the Kurita. Although they seemed relieved, they still could not allow them into the village without approval from the elders.

_"I'm sorry Sakura...They have to consult the elders before we can allow you to enter...Please..Wait here for a bit..."_

_"..It's alright Masami..We'll wait here...You go on ahead to your family..I'm sure they've been worried about you...."_

_"........I have to tell them about what happened to brother........"_

_"Be strong Masami....Even though it's very sad...Your brother died protecting you..and the Kyou village...Always remember that..."_

Hearing those words from Sakura gave Masami the courage she needed to tell her parents the tragic news.

_"..Sakura...Thank you for everything....I will never forget you...Good luck on your journey...I'm sure we will meet again..."_

_"..Thank you Masami..."_

As Masami was leaving, she turned and looked at Sasuke.

_"Sasuke....I will also never forget you....I hope that soon the Kyou village will be able to help the Kurita in the fight against the Satoshi...because you were right...Everyone deserves to enjoy peace...I'll always remember those words and do my best.....Goodbye Sasuke..."_

She turned and ran into the village. As Sasuke and Sakura watched her leave, Sakura glanced over at Sasuke, and smiled.

* * *

Sakura and Sasuke will have to wait to speak to the elders. They also have to locate Naoki. Will they be able to get the information they need..Or will the village that chooses to remain neutral refuse to supply information to the two.

Chapter 2 to be updated soon..

(*Updated Chapter 2*)

It wasn't long before one of the ninja guards returned to Sasuke and Sakura.

_"..The elders have agreed to meet with you...Follow me...I shall escort you there..."_

As they followed the guard into the village, they noticed the village was quite lively despite it's small size. There were many families walking around with their children, and many small shops set up carrying many different items, from food to souvenirs. As Masami had told them before, it didn't seem to resemble a ninja village.

_"..Hey..Sasuke...This is pretty nice...Maybe I'll go shopping once we're finished..hehe.."_

_"..We didn't come here to shop...Stay focused Sakura..."_

_"..Geez, Sasuke...Always so dull..."_

As they continued walking, they came upon a large building within the village. The guard continued to escort them into the buiding, into one of the main rooms located within. In the main room, they were met with stares from three older men sitting around a small table, with two ninja that seemed to be on guard within the room. The man sitting in the middle spoke.

_"You may return to your post.."_

_"Yes sir.."_

The guard exited the room, and the man sitting in the middle spoke again.

_"..Introduce yourselves..."_

_"..Um..Yes..I am Kiyoshi Sakura..and this is Akane Sasuke...We are ninja from the Kurita..."_

_"...??..Did you say Akane?..."_

_"..Yes..he is Akane Sasuke..."_

_"..I see...What business does the Kurita have with the Kyou village?..."_

_"..We were sent here by Kokoro, another member of the Kurita, in search of Naoki...."_

_"...Naoki?....I should have known..."_

_"..Yes sir,...We would like to ask Naoki some questions..."_

_"..Do as you please...You should be able to find Naoki in the village..I will have one of my guards escort you there....However, do not linger..We prefer to not have outsiders in our village..."_

_"...Understood...Sir..There is actually something else we would like to tell you..."_

_"..Hmm?..What is it?.."_

_"..On our way here, we saved a member of your village..Ran Masami...She was being pursued by Satoshi ninja..."_

_"...Satoshi?..."_

Hearing this seemed to make the elders uneasy.

_"..Our village remains neutral in the wars...An encounter with Satoshi outside of the village is to be expected..."_

_"...Sir, they were looking for information on the location of your village..."_

_"..As they have been for years...This is not a concern of the village..."_

_"..Excuse my abruptness sir, but it should be a concern to you...Masami's brother was killed for withholding information from the Satoshi, and had I not been there..Masami might have lost her life as well...The Satoshi are looking for your village with the intent on taking it over...I understand that you remain neutral..but I think you should ally yourselves with the Kurita..We can be of great assistance to you if you would just allow us---"_

_"You youngsters understand nothing...Death is common...Those that journey outside of the village understand the risk they are taking...Those that remain in the village remain safe...We will continue to stand by our beliefs...We have been able to enjoy a peaceful life for many years...We will not change that now by bringing in outsiders to protect something that needs not be protected...A lost life is a small price to pay for the continued safety of our village.."_

As she listened to the elder speak, Sakura became infuriated.

_"...I can't believe that you would take the death of one of your own villagers so lightly...."_

_"...As I have already said...One life for the safety of many is not uncommon.."_

_"..HOW CAN YOU BE SO DAMN SELFISH!!!....THE SATOSH---!!!_

_"..Sakura...We have said what we had to say to the elders of this village...Let's go..We have to find Naoki...."_

_"..Sasuke?!!!...How can you be so calm?...The Satoshi are looking for this village..and once news gets back that the ninja who were pursuing Masami have been defeated...They'll be that much closer to the Kyou village...and everyone here will be in danger...I cannot allow that to happen!!!.."_

_"..It's none of our business...We've offered our help to this village, and it's been refused...There is nothing more that can be done...."_

_"..Sasuke?!!!..."_

_"..It's just as I said before...the Kyou village is being selfish..."_

The elders did not take kindly to what Sasuke said.

_"..How dare you speak as if you know what is best for our village...You are a mere boy in our eyes...We understand more then you would think of what is going on in this world.."_

_"..I'm afraid I will have to disagree...While you are safe in your village..There are people dying out there...The Satoshi are constantly looking to expand their territory..And by you expecting this peace you and your village have become accustomed to enjoying over the years to last forever..Is completely ridiculous..."_

_"..Why you!!!.."_

_"..It will be that much more devastating to you for the simple fact that you believe it's something that cannot happnen...The word 'nuetral' means nothing to the Satoshi....They will not hesitate to take this village for their own...It's only a matter of time..."_

The conversation quickly became very intense. Sakura understood that if it continued that way, they might lose their chance to speak with Naoki.

_"..Elders...Please..We are not here to cause trouble...Or question the way you run your village...What Sasuke and I are merely saying is that the Satoshi are closer then you think...They have many trained ninja with them that will be able to locate the village eventually...The Kurita only wish to help....We only want to help protect the peace you have established....Our intentions were to inform you of what is happenning...But we understand that help from the Kurita is something you do not want...Thank you for allowing us in your village..We will wait outside for the guard to take us to Naoki.."_

Sakura grabbed Sasuke by the arm, and left the room.

_"..Sasuke..sometimes you go to far..."_

_"..Me?!!..You were the one who was about to lose it if I hadn't interrupted you back there...Besides..I stand by what I said..."_

_"..I agree with you..But sometimes you lack tact..."_

As she said that, Sasuke couldn't help but look at her and think to himself:

_"..Again, this is coming from the girl who was about to lose her temper a while ago.."_

As they waited outside, the elders deliberated inside the room.

_"..We shouldn't allow them in the village anymore.."_

_"..I can understand you are upset..But I do believe their intentions were good.."_

_"..They showed no respect for us as the elders of this village.."_

_"..I think their emotions stem from their strong desire to genuinely want to protect us from the Satoshi.."_

_"..And that smug little brat...Speaking like he knows of this world.."_

_"..He was an Akane..Right?!!...Does that mean he is the last living Akane?..."_

_"..I think so..I have heard stories about what happened to his parents...It seems they were killed sometime ago by Satoshi...It's not surprising he would have that type of an attitude...."_

_"..It doesn't excuse his behavior.."_

_"..Let's allow them to seek out Naoki.."_

_"..I agree...It brings no harm to us to allow them to stay in the village a while longer until they speak to Naoki...Do not spite the youngsters out of anger..I imagine it was a long journey here..And they did save one of our villagers...."_

_"...Fine...."_

After waiting for some time, Sasuke and Sakura were met by a guard.

_"..Follow me.."_

As they followed the guard throughout the village, Sakura once again took notice of how peaceful life seemed to be in the village.

_"..Sasuke...Do you think they know of the dangers that are just beyond their own village?.."_

_"...Who knows..."_

_"..Being here..Just seems to give me the feeling of being in a different world almost....I wish everyone would be able to enjoy this kind of peaceful life someday...When I think about all of the villages that have had their peace destroyed because of the Satoshi...And think about this place one day falling prey to the Satoshi...It makes me really sad....I want to protect them, Sasuke...."_

_"...The best thing we can do for them right now,..is to find Naoki..and see if he knows where we can find the Satoshi base in this area....If we can eliminate them...We can keep this place safe for a little while longer...Maybe in that time..The elders will think about what we've said to them..and reconsider...."_

_"...You're right..."_

Before they knew it, they were approaching a small house in the village. The guard informed them that was Naoki's home.

_"..I will wait for you here to escort you out of the village when you are finished.."_

_"..Thank you for taking us here.."_

They walked up to the house and knocked on the door. After what seemed to be the sound of someone scrambling around, they were finally greeted by an older man.

_"..And you are?..."_

_"..Um..Hello..My name is Kiyoshi Sakura...and this is Akane Sasuke..We're ninja from the Kurita..Are you Naoki?..."_

_"..Kurita?...Akane?...."_

_"...Yes...Are you Naoki?..."_

_"..I am...What do you want with me?..."_

_"..We were sent here by Kokoro...He said you might have some information that could be of use to us..."_

_".....Now...What kind of information do you think an old man like me might possess that would be of help to youngsters such as yourself?...."_

_"....Please...We are looking for any information you might have on the Satoshi..."_

_"....Now..I don't know what you've heard young lady...But I'm a simple old man..Who knows nothing of what you speak of..."_

_"..Listen old man!!.."_

_"..??!!.."_

_"..Sasuke!!.."_

_"..This game you're playing won't work on me...I already know you're not this 'simple old man' you claim to be...I know you're a ninja..And a quite skillful one at that...We don't have time to mess around...Tell us what you know..."_

Naoki was surprised at Sasuke's serious disposition, thus changing his own to that of a more serious one.

_"..You did say..Akane..did you not?.."_

_"..That's right..I'm Akane Sasuke..."_

_"..Well Sasuke..of the Akane..This information you seek..It's not easily obtained by just anyone...Because you're part of the Kurita means nothing to me...I come from a neutral village if you hadn't remembered...Therefore..I'm not at liberty to just give that information to you.."_

_"..But, Kokoro said--"_

_"Sakura..stay out of this...Old man...What exactly are you getting at?..."_

_"..Quite perceptive of you, young one...If you wish to have this information...You'll have to defeat me in a fight...Show me the skills of the last member of the Akane clan...Only then will I decide if you're worthy of my time..."_

_"...??!!..Sasuke..Are you really going to fight him?!!.."_

_"....I'll fight you...And I'll make you tell us what we want to know..."_

_"..That's what I thought you would say...This should be interesting..."_

* * *

What kind of skills does Naoki have...Will Sasuke be able to get the information he needs...

(To be updated soon)


End file.
